a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for modifying the distal end of a humerus deformed by disease or injury in preparation for implanting an elbow joint replacement.
b. Description of the Prior Art
The success of total hip and knee replacement in recent years has been attributed largely to precise fit of the implant. The need for exacting placement of the prosthetic components intraoperatively has led to the design of sophisticated instrumentation to enable even the most technically embarrassed surgeons to perform successful joint replacement.
Typical of such known instrumentation are the disclosures presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,791,919 to Elloy et al, 4,736,737 to Fargie et al, and 3,782,373 to Smythe.
Elloy et al provide instrumentation for use in the surgical implantation of a total knee prosthesis and is intended for use on both the tibia and on the femur. Fargie et al disclose a cutting jig for use in obtaining an accurate tibial resection in the course of a total knee prosthesis implantation procedure. Smythe discloses a jig for forming one or more holes accurately positioned in the femur for the purpose of accommodating suitable fasteners to anchor the femoral component of a hip joint.
Other joints beside the hip and knee, however, still require expert carpentry skill and superb craftsmanship on the part of the surgeon. The surface replacement total elbow, for example, has long been considered one of the most demanding and time consuming total joint replacements due to the difficulty of handiwork required to place the humeral component in a biomechanically exact position in the bone.
The invention disclosed herein provides a set of instruments and a surgical technique that, when used properly, ensures accurate placement of the humeral component in reference to the long axis of the humerus and provides a non talent specific method for resection of bone through the use of cutting guides. Intramedullary alignment, previously considered impossible on the elbow, can now be achieved on a routine basis.